The present invention relates generally to mobile nursing carts and, more particularly, to a mobile nursing unit including a cart for storing and transporting medications and other medical supplies and a computer system mounted on the cart for storing patient information, for recording patient information and for retrieving patient information from a remote computer via spread spectrum radio frequency signals.
Typically, a nurse is responsible for several patients located at or near a centralized nursing station. At the beginning of a shift, the nursing personnel perform medication rounds during which the appropriate medications are administered to the various patients. A nurse initially loads a medication cart with the medications needed for a medication round. The nurse determines the quantities and types of medications needed by examining the individual orders from the treating physicians for each of her assigned patients.
During a round, the nurse must also review the patient's chart, which is typically mounted on the bed of the patient, to ensure the correct administration of medication. Each administration of medication must then be properly recorded and verified on a multitude of charts and forms.
Other medical supplies, such as bandages, gauze, intravenous tubing, needles, etc., may also be dispensed during the nurse's round. Oftentimes, a nurse must retrieve required medical supplies from a centralized supply closet. This procedure is time consuming and tedious.
In addition, each of the medical supplies are typically charged to the patient on an "as used" basis and, consequently, an accurate record of the medical supplies expended on a particular patient is required for billing purposes. The nurse thus needs to complete additional forms relating to the use of medical supplies.
All of these procedures are very tedious and time consuming. The attention given to a patient is thus necessarily reduced due to the nurse spending a significant amount of time doing clerical work and retrieving supplies from the supply closet. Human recorders are also prone to provide inaccurate or incomplete information. These problems are exacerbated when the human recorder has to put forth a great deal of effort in the recording process. Further time is consumed detecting and resolving errors in the record.
Medication carts are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,928, issued to Carter, discloses a medication cart including a locked compartment for storing and dispensing narcotics and another compartment for non-narcotic medications. The cart also includes all onboard computer system having an input device, such as a bar reader, card reader or keyboard. At the beginning of a round, information regarding individual patients, such as medication orders, and the supplies on the cart, such as narcotics inventory, is transferred into a memory in the computer system. This information may be transferred into the memory by use of one or more input devices or downloaded from a remote computer.
During a round, the amount and type of medications dispensed are recorded by the computer system. At the end of the round, the computer system is connected to a printer via a conventional plug and socket and the record for each patient is printed and placed in the patient's chart.
Unfortunately, the Carter cart does not provide for real-time transfer and retrieval of information as the nurse makes a round. Periodically, unforseen circumstances arise wherein the nurse requires additional information. Additionally, the Carter cart must be hardwired to a printer and, consequently, either a printer must be transported with each cart, which is cumbersome and relatively expensive, or the cart must be connected to a remote printer after the round. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a mobile nursing unit for transporting medications and medical supplies which transmits and records information through radio frequency signals, which provides for updating and printing of records at a remote printer and which provides for a record of chargeable medical supplies expended.